Here is a step-by-step tutorial + video on how to cut a pineapple! Make sure to use a sturdy knife. You can use the fresh pineapple for fruit salads, smoothies or my pineapple fried rice!

I’m not ashamed to admit that I used to buy canned pineapple. The thought of having to rip through the tough exterior seemed like too much work. But what bothers me about canned pineapple is the extra sugar. I’m not the biggest fan of soaking fruit in sugary syrups. Even brands that claim to soak pineapple only in its own juices seems too sweet for me. Eventually, I got over my apprehensions and figured out how to cut a pineapple.

It’s actually a lot easier than you think! The entire process usually takes me about 10 to 15 minutes. All you need is a good sturdy knife a bit of patience. Follow along my step-by-step tutorial and video on how to cut a pineapple, and you’ll be a pro in no time.

PICKING A RIPE PINEAPPLE

Ideally, you want a pineapple with golden colored skin. A few small green patches at the top is okay. Often times, the pineapple I buy at the supermarket are still green on the outside. I usually leave the pineapple on the counter for several days and wait for the pineapple to ripen into a nice golden color. You may notice a bit of mold forming at the bottom of a ripe pineapple, but don’t worry about it. You will be slicing off that bottom part anyway.

(Side note: The pineapple that I’m using in the video is actually a little underripe for me. I usually wait until it’s much more golden on the outside. However, the leaves usually dry up and turn golden too, which doesn’t look nice for photographs or videos.)

How to Cut a Pineapple

Ingredients

Instructions

Slice off the top and bottom of the pineapple, about 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch away from either end. (I don’t like wasting too much pineapple.)

Stand the pineapple on the bottom end. Slice off a small section of the skin. Continue working your way around the pineapple until all the skin has been trimmed off.

Lay the pineapple on its side. You’ll notice that the eyes run along diagonal lines. Cut off the eyes along those diagonal lines. Slide your knife at an angle underneath three or four eyes, making a small cut. Do the same on the opposite side of those eyes. You should be able to remove a small wedge of pineapple containing those eyes. Continue removing the rest of the eyes along the diagonal lines. When you’re done, the pineapple should look like it has a spiral pattern on it.

Stand the pineapple up again, and slice the pineapple in half, and then into quarters. Slice off the hard core from each wedge. You can usually feel the difference between the core and the fleshy fruit.

Lay each wedge flat and cut into slices. Use the sliced fruit in my pineapple fried rice or freeze it for smoothies!